July 2015 Empties/ Mini Reviews

Hi hi!


It's time to go through my trash again LOL. Let's do this!!

1. Clinique Even Better Eyes Dark Circle Corrector

I want to say it does nothing,  but since I ran out of this and returned the Aveda one and only been using the Kiehls Avocado eye cream in the morning... I've been noticing my dark circles have been horrible O_o so maybe it did do something. Not repurchasing this time around but gonna get something with caffeine for my morning eye cream. 


2. Clarins Shaping Facial Lift Lipo-drain Serum

Have had this for a longggg time. Stopped using it because it makes my skin feel dry??? It's kind of hard to describe. Not a tightening feeling, just it just gave me a weird feeling as if my skin is dehydrated from the inside. Lol I don't even know, I just know I don't like how it makes my face feel after. Anyway didn't want it to go to waste so I only applied it to the jawline and neck this time around (you're supposed to apply it to your entire face and neck, followed by a "massage" routine). This works for water retention so it does have a slimming effect. Lipo-drain? I think that's false claim. I bought two of them at that time so currently working on the second bottle.


3. Skin & Co. Truffle Body Milk Sample

Nothing special. Smell reminds me more of almond milk lol. 


4. Clarins Advanced Extra-Firming Neck Cream
 

 
This is just a deluxe sample size I got when I purchased the lipo-drain serum. I actually liked it! And I do feel like it works. It does give you that tightening feeling and I feel like my double chin is less saggy/prominent while I used it LOL. Don't know if I'm gonna purchase the full size product. I feel like I like it but don't love it to splurge.


5. Diorsnow UVB Protection
 
... This is the first time I noticed it says "UVB" protection on this product. Does that mean it only has UVB protection and not UVA??? Or is it merely emphasizing it has UVB protection in addition to UVA??? I gotta look into it O_O

Anyway you guys know I love this sunscreen. Talked about it multiple times (see here). The only thing I will add though is it is more suitable for winter. Even in the desert/dry climate here in California, I found this sunscreen to be a bit too heavy in this heat... Didn't realize how heavy it feels until I switched to Anessa. That said I still love this sunscreen and I do have two more in my stash. I need to stop hoarding!!

 
I noticed they do have new packaging now! Which is awesome because when the product is low, the cap just will NOT stay on. Kept falling off which frankly was very annoying. I'm really glad they changed the packaging but I'm also bummed out that I have two of the old package ones -_- lol
 
Love that it comes with a pump. Super easy to control. Not sure if the new ones do (feel like the new ones look like regular screw-on lids).

 
Thought I squeezed out all of the product but when I cut it open there was SO MUCH product left. I ended up applying the leftover product on my body and there was more than enough.


6. Arcona Magic Dry Ice Hydrating Gel Sample

It was nice... ppl who like gel moisturizers will probably like this. But to me it wasn't special and I don't miss it. Smells like cherry flavored cough syrup which was a turn-off for me.


7. Origins Youthopia-Lift Firming Cream Sample

I'm not even sure if this was discontinued or renamed/repackaged. Can't seem to find the Youthopia line anymore. Anyway this thing is really old too but I do like it! Like the Clarins firming cream, it gives a tightening feeling and somewhat "reduce" the appearance of my double chin lol. I'm more inclined to look into firming products from Origins than Clarins... ummm... simply because I like Origins? lol.


8. Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Conditioner 



Here's another one

You'll probably see this product on my blog until the day I stop blogging.


9. Guerlain Abeille Royale Face Treatment Oil Sample

I think it's nice and it does hydrate my face/make it plumper, but I don't think it's that special. First time I used it was very taken aback by the smell-- it was like applying perfume to my face. Doesn't smell like old lady exactly... maybe smells like rich middle aged lady skincare??? lol


10. Lancome Soothing Recharging Night Cream

This expired before I had a chance to try it on my face O_O I just used it on my body.  I think I would've very much enjoyed it though. The name "cream" is really misleading because it's more of a thick gel. If you like the Clinique Moisture Surge I think you will enjoy this. It was very hydrating when I tried it on my body.


11. NUDE Progenius Omega Treatment Rescue Oil Sample

When I was at Sephora the SA insisted that I need to try this because she said it was basically the most amazing oil she's ever tried. Ummm... sadly didn't work out that way for me. It has rosehip oil so I was excited to test it out. But when I applied this it didn't want to sink it. The two nights I had it on I could feel a layer of oil on my face. The Sunday Riley oils and Guerlain oil didn't do that. And I didn't notice anything extraordinary either.


12. Yes to Coconut Polishing Body Scrub

The formula of this body scrub was very interesting-- it contained exfoliating beads in jelly. Don't know how else to describe it lol never used anything like this before. It did feel quite hydrating and not in a residue/uncomfortable sort of way. Not sure if I will repurchase. It was okay.


13. Wen Lavender Cleansing Conditioner

As you can see... the pump broke -_- I have no idea what happened to it. Anyway too lazy to use it. I'm pretty much over cleansing conditioners anyway so I just decided to toss it out. Such a waste but whatever. Not gonna try to hang on to products I don't like when I have so many other good products that are waiting for me to finish before they expire O_O lol.



14. Aveda Invati



Talked about it here. Since I wrote that very recently and my thoughts have not changed, please just refer to that :)


15. Maybelline Fashion Brow Duo in BR-1

Really enjoyed this product! At one point I was pretty much in love/obsessed with it lol but that has passed. Still doesn't change the fact it's great though! But it ran out quite fast @_@ seeing that I've never ran out of other brow products before. 


One end is the twist up brow pencil, the other brow powder. I have backups of this product so I'll make sure to write about/swatch it the next time I open up a new one =P



16. Kate Lash Maximizer (white)

It contains a lot of little fibers, which became really annoying as the formula dried-- the little fibers stuck out and poked my eyes. The same applies to all fiber mascaras though-- have to make sure to use a tweezer to get all those fibers that are sticking out. It does the job of holding curls/volumizing, but I won't repurchase. Too expensive for what it is. There are cheaper and better options.


17. Mistine Super Model Mascara

This is a dual end mascara that I got while I was in Thailand. The description was all in Thai so I kind of had to figure out how to use it on my own LOL.Was a bit cautious when I bought it cuz I've never tried Thai cosmetics but I've seen positive reviews on it (from a Taiwanese YouTuber) so decided to give it a try.


1. Mascara has little curl hold. It doesn't make my lashes go stick straight but my lashes would lose a bit of the curl
2. The fibers stick poorly to the lashes if you don't lay something down as a base first

I used the mascara two ways. I'd use my mascara primer as always, put on a layer of the mascara, follow up with the fibers, then mascara again. More often I would use my own mascara primer, then just the mascara end. I found the mascara is pretty good for length/volume without the fibers.

If you want to use the fiber end but don't have your own mascara primer, I'd still suggest putting down a layer of mascara first, then fibers, then mascara so you can get the fibers to stick.





I will say, the fibers aren't messy as I anticipated. I didn't experience any fall outs/irritation while using it. Major kudos to that since I find most fiber formulation really irritating to eyes. When you apply the fibers to your mascara-coated lashes though, you might find the fibers clump up quite a bit. But that can be combed out as you use a second layer. Yeah kind of troublesome that's why I usually forgo the fibers lol.


I do have some application photos for you =P Took them a long time ago lol.





Not the cleanest looking lashes. Personally don't really care hahaha. They do look better from afar



Overall effect



Really love how much my lashes stand out with this mascara.

Pretty much in my last few posts I was using the primer+mascara combination (so no fibers). You can see the effect best here.  The mascara itself works pretty well. Fiber end really isn't needed lol.

Will I repurchase? Probably not. I'd be totally willing to try out another mascara from Mistine though! I will probably just look for a regular mascara without fibers.


18. MAC Liquidlast Eyeliner in Coco Bar

Discontinued. Hoarded some backups when it was being discontinued. Later discovered Milani Infinite Liquid Eyeliner is a dupe.


... I always felt like I didn't finish that much stuff, but how come my empties posts always end up being so long? -_- lol.

Have a great rest of the day :)




<3 Frances

June 2015 Empties/Mini Reviews

Hello hello!

Long time no blog again.... O_o|||  Hope all is well with you all!

So a lot has changed in the last month, with graduation and moving and all that. But maybe I will give that a write another time, cuz I sense this is gonna be a long post lol. Anyway! I'm obviously settled enough to be able to sit down and write a blog post ;)  By the way... I don't have my blogging camera with me... and it's kind of broken anyway -_-  so I'm not sure what to do if I want to do any kind of swatches/reviews, cuz the camera I'm using now automatically corrects tones and makes colors more vivid @_@  and I'm not really in the place to invest in a new camera. So we'll see. I love doing quick reviews on Instagram but I don't think foundation reviews are ever complete without application photos >_<

Now let's talk about the products I finished over the last few months!

1. Aveda Stress-Fix Body Lotion

I had it for a long time, but I rarely used it because I was always trying to save it for when I'm feeling extra stressed or tired LOL. I really like the lavender scent of this body lotion... it's not the fake, icky type of lavender scent that is so common among many lavender scented products. I found the scent to really be relaxing and soothing :) anyway I decided I needed to stop just hoarding my nice/expensive products and saving them for special occasions and just use them while they're still fresh LOL. Will I repurchase? Yes! But only when I'm feeling spendy... this I consider a luxury/pampering product lol. In terms of how well it moisturizes... it's decent. It gets more points in the scent department; the "moisturization" is just so-so.


2. Ryo Hair Mask

Err... forgot the name of this product. Sowee! XD  I think it contains ginseng and is supposed to smell like ginseng... but for some reason, it totally reminds me of this Chinese dessert... the red bean soup thingy


↑ This. LOL!! I swear every time I used it I wanted a bowl of red bean soup hahaha. It was a hair mask but I just used it as a conditioner. It was alright. Nothing special. I didn't purchase this it was a free gift.


3. The Face Shop Rice Water Bright Cleansing Foam

To be fair, I think it's an okay cleanser but somehow I just got so sick of the scent @_@ For some reason the scent really started to bother me. So about half way through I just started using it as a body wash so I can use it up quickly LOL. Waste not! Won't repurchase. By the way, I threw out the Rice Water Bright Cleansing Cream (please refer here) cuz it was SUCH A PAIN IN THE ASS to use. Takes wayy too long to work makeup off my face (namely... my super waterproof mascaras) I officially write off cleansing balms/creams... just gonna stick with cleansing oils from now on. Oh and I also tossed out the Screen Cell Cushion.


4. Wen Lavender Re Moist Intensive Hair Treatment

It was good. Can't think of anything else to add cuz I feel like I already talked about Wen too much in the past LOL. Won't repurchase.


5. DHC supplement for slimming

Bought this when I was in Japan. I can't really read Japanese but I understand this is for slimming (how though I'm not sure). I got it because I was curious as to if it actually works or not. Ummm I noticed no difference XD Didn't notice any appetite changes or anything. Nor did I notice any diarrheal effects. Hahahaha.


6. Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion

This is my replacement for my favorite summer moisturizer-- Shiseido Pure Matifying Moisturizer. It's really light and great for summer! Also an awesome medium for mixing heavier creams/lotions. Will repurchase. Although since my recent move I'm now at a much drier climate... not sure if this will be enough. Currently still using Cetaphil and it works great.


7. Innisfree the Green Tea Seed Serum

I mentioned before this thing broke me out all over my face. Was gonna give it away to friends but none of them were interested lol was gonna try to sell it but it isn't the most practical cuz the shipping fees alone are ridiculous. So I used it on my body LOL. Interestingly when I used it on my body, because it's a gel formulation, I feel like after the initial moisturized feeling, my skin would actually feel dried out O_O didn't notice that when I used it on my face, but then again I didn't use it on my face for that many times and I use a lot more follow-up products on my face. For those who don't know... it's extremely fragranced... I wouldn't describe it as a herbally scent (which is usually typical of Innisfree products)... smells like a cleanser to me. 


8. Aveda Rosemary Mint Hand and Body Wash

My favorite body wash O_O! This was a sample gift. If you don't like mint you obviously want to stay away from this XD But it has a nice cooling effect and I just love the smell. Also it doesn't leave that residue-feeling some body washes do. Will I purchase? Ehhh too expensive. Hahaha. I'll stick with drugstore body washes and soaps.


9. Michael Todd Jojoba Charcoal Facial Scrub

To be fair I remember liking it and it is a nice and effective facial scrub. But I just prefer my St. Ives scrubs with salicylic acid treatment. So I ended up using this to scrub my underarms LOL. Ehhh TMI?  It gets kind of messy though... I have to make sure to rinse my bathroom walls/tub cuz the black stuff gets everywhere.

10. Clinique Smart Custom-Repair Serum

Already talked about this before. Holy grail status. Smooths away flaky skin and helps skin repair faster. Already repurchased. I don't use it every day-- only use it when I need it in case my skin gets too used to it. 


11. Evian Mineral Water Spray

Also an old product. I prefer canisters over spritz bottles cuz I found they dispense the mist more evenly. I haven't really been using mists that much as of late... may or may not repurchase.


12. Dr. Hauschka Eye Contouring Day Balm

Why this is called a day balm still mystifies me to this date. How on earth do you use this during day time??? It really is a balm... I don't know how anyone can apply makeup over this thing without it creasing/slipping off. I used it at night. It didn't do anything for me. Glad to get rid of it. Will not repurchase.


13. A'PIEU Essential Source Snail Vital Cream

Was super excited to try this but it broke me out as well... think I've mentioned that before?? Anyway so I also used it as a body moisturizer. It's a very thick clear gel formulation... kind of reminds me of sleeping masks but even thicker. Didn't smell like anything. Actually, as a body moisturizer, it wasn't bad :P  Will not repurchase obviously.


14. Innisfree Long Wear Cushion

Had a full review, as well as follow-up here. I technically haven't used it all the way up yet... but pretty close. The reason I have to toss it out is because it started to smell funny. I tried applying it on my face cuz I felt like it was such a waste XD It still performed great but it did break me out hahahahaha so it was time to go. I still love the formula and think it's an awesome cushion and I love the way it makes my skin look... but I think cushions just aren't that hygienic. However I wouldn't say I won't repurchase this though... I might :P


15. YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat Illuminating Foundation

You guys are probably sick of me talking about this foundation, but it was my holy grail winter liquid foundation. It is SO GOOD. I think I've had it for a couple of years?? (Hahaha yeah not advisable... should try to finish it within 6months-1 year after opening) and I loved it for the two years that I was using it. However, I haven't missed it as much as I thought I would be O_O maybe because I could only use it for winter only anyway, but I've been using the Innisfree Smart Foundation in Super Moisture and I'm pretty darn happy with that one as well. The formulations for the two are not comparable because they're pretty different, but in terms of the finish, I think it's kind of comparable-- they both give that super nice and glowy dewy finish. Innisfree perhaps more "moist" looking than YSL. 


Sample fest!! Haha


16. Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum-- Ehh didn't do anything for me
17. Sisley Ecological Compound Emulsion-- I remember really enjoying it but I can't remember why hahahaha XD I think I liked it but not enough to splurge
18. Lunasol Moist Conditioner-- It's nice! I liked it! Very moisturizing toner. Thought about purchasing it but I already have some awesome toners that do much more than moisturizing XD
19. Obagi Vitamin C Serum (10%)-- Got the sample when I was in Japan. It's nice... and it smelled so good O_O But I've used better products for brightening lol. 


20. Dermalogica Skin Hydrating Masque

Really good moisturizing mask if you guys are looking for something like that :) it's my staple when I'm flying long haul flights. I also apply it to the rest of my face when I apply clay masks to my nose lol. Don't think I will ever purchase the full-size product cuz this little sample/travel size lasted me quite a long time.  I would've repurchased it except I wasn't able to find the travel size the last time I looked on Amazon. 


 
21. Innisfree Skinny Microcara (brown)-- This is the none waterproof version. Will not repurchase. I prefer the waterproof version... it's easier to remove with my cleansing oils O_O Also I don't like the color of this brown mascara... it's too light... also on the red brown side. I found it just blends my lashes into my eyeliner. Not a good brown color. I think a deeper brown would've worked so much better. Anyway I have a bunch of Majolica Majorca mascaras now so I won't be repurchasing any of the Innisfree microcaras lol. To be fair, I do like the regular black waterproof skinny microcaras. Although they tend to be on the dry and clumpy side midway through the tube.

22. Integrate mascara primer-- it's decent. It definitely grew on me as I was using it, but at the same time I don't really miss it when it's gone. I prefer Majolica Majorca mascara primer. But it does the job-- holds curls and volumizes.  


23. Caudalie Premier Cru La Creme Riche sample

I enjoyed it! It's on the thicker and heavier side so I usually mix it with Cetaphil or SkinMD. It was a free sample and while I enjoyed it, I don't like it enough to splurge on the actual product. The smell reminds me of calamine lol.


24. DHC L-carnitine supplement



So I bought it because I thought it's supposed to help with more efficient metabolism... I misunderstood the picture and Kanji XD  I think it's actually intended for aging/dieting ppl to replace L-carnitine (amino acid). Haha. Uhhhh. I don't need this at all LOLLLL. I didn't have Internet with me when I bought these -_-


25. Clarins One-Step Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser sample

I like! It's a really good exfoliator! My face feels super clean and nice and soft after using it. But I still prefer St. Ives hahaha XD What can I say... St. Ives is cheap and cheerful. I don't feel the need to splurge on the full size item =P


26. Aveda Shampure Shampoo

Aveda shampoos are LOVE. Enough said XD If you're new to Aveda and not sure what to try, this is a good one! It's basic and... the cheapest one XD I think this one is awesome for daily use. Have repurchased.


27. First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream sample

Already talked about it on my Instagram XD So here it is

New skincare that I was testing out. It was LOVE 👍 tbh, I was never interested in first aid beauty... Simply bcuz their packaging never attracted me 😓😂 this being the "ultra repair cream" and "intense therapy" led me to think that this moisturizer should be super thick and heavy duty. To my surprise, it was so light 😳 but so effective. This is one of these moisturizers that don't do anything special, but I just love the way it applies and how my skin feels after. This sample lasted me a good 2.5 weeks 😳 (I mostly only used it at night though). Sad it was finished. This gets a big 👍 from me and is definitely something I would purchase in the future 👌PS. It contains colloidal oatmeal... No wonder it's so good 😝 I'm so oatmeal-biased hehe 😁#firstaidbeauty #sephora #beautyblogger #bblogger #review #instareview #skincare #moisturizer

A photo posted by Frances (@bbudgie) on Jun 8, 2015 at 12:18am PDT

That's  all I have! Hope you guys enjoyed this "quick" one. Have you guys tried any exciting products as of late? I feel like there have been a lot new launches but nothing has piqued my interest.  Did I just jinx myself by saying that? LOL. Anyhow, I really ought to control my spendings anyway >_< I spent enough on the last Sephora haul as it is.

Hope you guys are enjoying the summer weather! WEAR SPF!!!!!! Lol.


<3 Frances